Simple As This
by Tony-Four
Summary: A relationship buds between Tony and Michelle when they seek comfort in a moment of desperation. FluffNonFluff. Post Season 2.
1. Beginnings

**Tochelle: _beginnings_**

(This is the collaboration story of Anna Raby and ciaosushi)

_Takes place a week or two after the second season. A Tochelle "beginning". Please review, good or bad, we really want to know what people think! When their names are in bold, it means that it is switching the POV. We don't own 24.. Since obviously, if we did, it'd be called 'Tony-Four'. ;)_

**Tony **had closed his eyes, attempting to empty his mind of the past week's events and fall asleep. He spent the night tossing and turning in his bed, with horribly vivid memories racing through his mind. So much had happened in just one day- the deaths of his coworkers and friends that he had, with work, become close to. Poor Paula, who had been on the job for hardly a few days. And George Mason- who had been the director of CTU for quite a while. Not having him and the other victims of the explosion around had virtually destroyed his sense of security. Their losses were a constant reminder of how close he, and the entire city had come to their end- And Michelle's end.

He grinned into his pillow. At least _some_ good had come out of that day. Thinking of Michelle and '_their encounter'_, as he had valiantly entitled it, had been all that had got him through the rough work hours in the past few days. Whenever he recalled her approaching him so daringly in the dark hallway, his heart flew up into his throat, and, for a small moment, he was happy. For the first time in a long while, a woman had made him completely, and utterly, content.

Tony had made a promise to himself that he would work up the guts to ask her out on a much owed dinner and movie as soon as the aftermath from Tuesday had settled down. It didn't seem right to act so rashly at this difficult time in both of their lives. He occasionally found himself hoping this aftermath would last a little while longer…

Usually it wasn't a huge deal for him to walk up to girls and have a conversation. In that area, at least, he was confident. But with this woman…

She was different. As soon as he had met her, he had known this. Just her gaze was enough to melt his heart and cause little droplets of sweat to creep from his hairline. And Tony was never a sweaty kind of guy.

The sharp, shrill ring of the telephone adjacent to his bed rudely interrupted his train of thought. Grunting, Tony looked at his watch. 3:30 in the morning? What kind of person would call him at such a time?

He sighed, deciding it had to be important. He didn't have a choice but to answer it. After groping blindly for the phone, he brought it to his ear. "Yeah?" Tony groaned in a throaty voice.

**Michelle** had been up far past her usual bedtime, debating fiercely in her mind whether to call him or not. It had been almost a week since that _day_. The day that kept her tossing in her sheets every night, shivering with fear of memories that were still much too fresh. This past week she had never felt so helpless and alone in her life. All she wanted was for someone to hold her, tell her everything was all right- that she was safe. She needed someone… no, not just someone. She wanted _him_ to comfort her until she dozed off in peaceful slumber.

But that wasn't possible, as she had repeated to herself time and time again. Michelle was convinced that he was probably fast asleep, and that he wouldn't want to be bothered with her stupid, selfish problems. But gradually, she realized that she would never sleep another day in her life if she didn't go for it. This was what her friends had always encouraged her to do: _Take Risks._

This was a desperate situation. She needed him.

Trembling, she slowly removed the phone from its cradle, and pressed four. (Yes, he was on speed dial. She couldn't help herself.)

Michelle's heart raced as the phone rang a couple of times, and then, miraculously, his deep, sexy, yet slightly groggy voice answered.

"Yeah?"

**Tony** paused, waiting for a reply. For a moment, there was nothing but complete silence. He waited for what felt like a whole minute. Then a small, quivering voice whispered, "Tony?"

The moment she uttered his name he knew it was her. It seemed impossible, but he would recognize that sweet, melodic tone of hers anywhere.

Tony's instinctive anger of being disturbed immediately left him, replaced by that familiar feeling of his heart rising up through his chest and lifting him several inches off the ground.

"Michelle? Wh- what's the matter? Is everything all right?"

**Michelle** was shocked that he had actually answered her. He didn't seem angry at all- actually, he seemed concerned about her.

She spent a moment preparing to hold back her pain, and explain her feelings rationally to Tony, but as soon as she spoke a word, everything poured out of her. Michelle completely broke down in hysterical sobs that racked her body. She just couldn't take it any longer. Tears streamed down her face, and finally, she let her emotions flow freely.

"Tony, I just… I'm not sure if I can handle this," she managed to choke through tears.

With careful tenderness in his voice, he tried to comfort her. "Shh… Michelle don't worry, I'm here. It'll be ok."

She felt so embarrassed, what must he think of her? How could she make herself look so vulnerable? Yet at the same time, it felt wonderful to hear his voice. With every soft, delicate word he spoke, a small weight was lifted from her chest.

"I feel so alone, Tony. I didn't know who else to call, I'm so sorry, I just-"

"Michelle, listen. There is no need to apologize. What happened last week, well, let's just say I know exactly how you are feeling. I am going through the same thing. Sometimes, you just need someone to talk to, ya know?"

"Yes, exactly," she whispered, her sobs beginning to subside.

**Tony** hated to hear Michelle cry. He felt as though it was his responsibility to help heal her wounded soul. He wanted to protect her. This was not the first time he had gone through this difficult process. It was one of the repercussions of a job at CTU.

In a wild moment of discovery, he took a deep breath and ventured, "Michelle?"

"Yes, Tony?"

"Do you want me to… come over, to… Ya know, keep you company?"

The moment he said it he wished he hadn't. _I'm an idiot_, he thought to himself, _what am I doing? It's almost 4 in the morning!_

But as he considered what he had offered, he realized that she really needed it, and so did she. He just had to pray that she wasn't offended by his rash offer.

**Michelle**'s heart thumped and pounded in her chest again. Tony? At her _house_? She had to admit the thought excited her, but was it taking things too fast?

_No_, she firmly decided. She needed this. She needed _him_.

"Yes, Tony, I really... I think that would help."

"So… uh, I guess I'll be over in a couple minutes. It's the blue one down the street, right?"

"Yes, that's it… And Tony?"

"mm?"

"Thanks." A smile spread crept along her tear-streaked face.

"Of course. I'll see you soon, Michelle."

With that, she heard the click of his phone turning off. As she slid her phone into it's cradle, she brushed her tears away with the back of her other hand. There was no need to cry. Everything is going to be okay. Tony is coming.

Michelle bit her lip, holding back a familiar girlish excitement that sent a tingle through her body. It was really happening.

_To be continued…_


	2. Anticipation

_**anticipation**_

_Tony and Michelle prepare for their unexpected evening together. Please continue to review!_

**Tony** shot out of his bed, suddenly wide awake in anticipation. He grabbed the nearest pair of crumpled jeans lying on the floor and briskly slid them on. Passing by the bathroom, he debated whether to wash his face and quickly shave before departing, but he decided against it. He had to get there as fast as he could. Michelle needed him.

He fumbled through the dark hallway, not even attempting to flip on the lights. Making his way towards the kitchen counter, where he usually tossed his wallet and keys, he began to chuckle with amusement. _I must look like an idiot, wandering around in the dark at four in the morning_. It was very unlike most nights.

By now, his eyes had adjusted to the dark, and he could see a rough outline of his surroundings. On the counter there was a pile of various objects, mainly trash. Wrappers, empty beer cans, leftover Chinese food… No car keys in sight.

_Where are those goddamned keys!_ He exhaled sharply, calming himself.

"I coulda sworn I left them right next to the chicken wing…" he mumbled aloud.

**Michelle **swung her legs out of her bed and placed them on her shag carpet she had gotten in college and wasn't particularly fond of anymore. _I need to get rid of that eventually…_

Turning around, she carefully made her bed, making sure everything was to perfection. She needed to impress Tony.

Michelle had always loved to clean, ever since she was very young. It was her natural instinct to keep things in order. Even after arriving at home in the early hours of the morning, she always performed her usual cleaning routine. It disturbed her to go to sleep in a dirty house.

As she tiptoed towards the bathroom, her hands began to tremble. Tony was coming to her house. _Her_ house. Her _HOUSE_. While the thought was incredibly comforting, it made her a little nervous. What if it was uncomfortable, and they had nothing to say to each other? She began making a mental list of things to say to him, but her anxious thoughts were interrupted by ones even more urgent.

_Was this a date_? She didn't think so, it was more of a comfort session between two…_acquaintances._ That was the right word.

But did _he_ think it was a date? Would he be expecting things from her? It hadn't sounded like that over the phone. Perhaps another layer of makeup just in case. She decided against it, predicting that she would probably cry it all out anyway.

She faced the tall mirror in the bathroom, scrutinizing her reflection. Michelle scooped up her messy mass of curls into an innocent ponytail, perhaps in attempt to look sweet and inviting. After modeling herself a bit in the mirror, she came to the conclusion that it was a little too… perky. She eventually chose to rip off the hair elastic and let her natural curls flow.

_I'm just going to be myself tonight._

**Tony ** racked his brain, trying to remember what he'd done with the keys. He couldn't have lost them. _They must be somewhere around here_…

Suddenly realization washed over him. His eyes widened with shock and horror and frustration all at once. When he'd arrived at the apartment, barely two hours ago, his laziness had taken the best of him, and he left the keys in his back pocket.

_So,_ he angrily thought to himself,_ now I have to go searching through ten pairs of pants scattered through my apartment to find the stupid things._

Tony took a deep breath, wheeled around, and trudged toward the bedroom. This time, he flipped on the switch to turn on the bright florescent lights, blinding him momentarily.

Squinting, he bent down onto the cold wooden floor, causing it to creak. He began to sift through the different articles of clothing, trying to find something that resembled a pair of keys.

Finally, after rummaging through what seemed like one hundred pairs of pants, there they were. He almost jumped with joy, at the feel of the cool metal against his fingers, but then restrained himself. Back on task.

Tony leapt to his feet, stretching his aching knees, and extended his wrist to check the time.

_4: 27! How could it be that late?_ It had been almost an hour since they had spoken. Did she think he stood her up? _Oh God._ He couldn't let her down. Not now.

**Michelle ** made a pot of coffee, knowing that when Tony arrived, he'd probably want something to wake him up. It had been her fault, after all, that he had gotten up in the first place.

She breathed in the soothing, warm smell, and permitted herself to relax. Knowing that Tony was on his way made everything seem better.

Michelle eased herself into a cushioned armchair near the kitchen. There really was no living room in her house, just sort of an "area" with a couple of chairs and a small television that rarely worked. Not that she ever really had time to watch television.

Picking up the remote, she scanned the surface for the power button, and pushed down. To her surprise, the television reacted and the blank screen turned into colorful, moving lights. She was a little challenged when it came to televisions. They seemed to hate her. Computers she understood.

Sitting back, Michelle began to flip through the channels, trying to find something that would impress upon Tony that she was a well-rounded person who enjoyed a little educational television once in a while. Perhaps Food Network?

After a few minutes of forcing herself to pay attention to a bunch of people making omelets, she began to worry. It had been almost thirty minutes since their phone conversation. Where was he?

**Tony ** recklessly tore through the empty streets, knocking over a few unfortunately placed trashcans on the way. _Oops. They neighbors'll probably be pissed._ He snickered, knowing that he always had hated those complaining, snively, uptight pinheads…

The vibrating ignition of his car made his wandering thoughts race back to the task at hand. Tony's foot slammed down on the acceleration, speeding up significantly. The car swerved around corners, only very nearly avoiding potential flat tires. Tony wanted nothing more than to arrive at Michelle's house. So what if he broke a limb or two along the way?

In record time, he pulled into her driveway. He had known the way by memory, having driven her home from work so many times. Though most of the street was pitch black, he could see a faint light coming from inside Michelle's house.

He eagerly threw open the screen door and was about to barge in, but then, taking control of himself, he placed it back gingerly and decided on knocking on the door instead. He placed what he hoped was the perfect, friendly, sexy, but not vulgar smile on his face, and prepared for her to answer the door.

**Michelle** jumped in her seat at the knock on the door. _Oh my God. He's here. _ She moved towards the door and smiled in a let's-be-friends-for-now-thanks-for-coming-you-are-sexy kind of way. She reached for the doorknob, and turned it.


	3. A Sip of Coffee

_**a sip of coffee**_

**Tony** stared in awe as the door swung open. Just knowing who was on the other side sent a shiver down his spine. Time slowed. Every second extended into a minute. As Michelle appeared from behind the door, he couldn't quite believe it. He was immediately enveloped in her eyes: huge and brown and, when you looked in them, it felt as if you were staring straight into her soul. For a moment, they simply looked at each other- not saying a word. Everything in Tony's life, problems, stresses, just seemed to dissolve in thin air. The only thing that mattered at this moment in time was _her._

Tony blinked and suddenly remembered where he was. He then realized they had been staring at each other for a whole minute. He felt completely exposed and humiliated. _What could I say that wouldn't sound stupid…?_

**Michelle** had become engrossed in those deep, dark eyes. She had a strong, pulsating desire to know everything about this man. She needed to know about his life, his troubles, his childhood…

Racing back to reality, she attempted to break the silence with a witty comment, or a sexy invitation inside. How about "Wanna come in?" No, too _vulgar_. Nothing good came. Her body and throat became temporarily paralyzed.

Everything she had planned to say beforehand flew out the back of her mind, leaving her dumbstruck, staring at Tony who was looking incredibly awkward on her doorstep.

Before she could restrain herself, she began to giggle. Soon it evolved into a laugh. Michelle had just realized how ridiculous they must both have looked. Michelle couldn't stop herself. All she could do was continue to hysterically laugh in front of the dumbfounded, utterly confused Tony.

**Tony** gazed at her with shock. He had prepared himself to see Michelle break down in hysterical tears, or even collapse. Never did he imagine he would be standing on her doorstep watching her _laugh_.

But watching the smile on her face begin to broaden, and happy tears run down her cheeks, he couldn't help himself either. _Just think of the situation you're in! _For the first time since he could remember, Tony began to let loose a deep laughter of amusement. The strangeness of their position just seemed so… _hilarious. _

By the time they had both calmed down, their faces were streaked with tears. His throat was no longer starch dry. He could speak.

"Hey," he choked out through remaining laughter.

It was all he could say, but it was enough. The awkwardness had evaporated.

**Michelle** ushered him inside, closing the door behind them. The mood between the two had significantly lightened, and at this moment, all of Michelle's pain had never been farther in the back of her mind. Being with him, feeling happy, watching him laugh… It was strange how comforting his presence was. She felt safe.

Michelle watched carefully as Tony inspected her apartment. It was more like a big room with different areas. She didn't need much space. A thin curtain divided her bed from her television/sitting area and kitchen. There was a small door leading to her petite bathroom on the right.

Her friends had kept advising her to move and find a bigger space. She _had _the money. But coming home to such a small area felt comforting to her. She didn't need a change, or want one for that matter. Because work was so unreliable, she liked to keep her personal life from varying much.

"Nice place." Tony announced, while wandering towards the TV. He began to watch _Doug Devortet_ sautéing some beef. His head whipped around excitedly.

"You like to cook?"

Michelle mind splintered in horror, zooming in all directions_. How am I going to get out of this! _

"Well… I... err..." Her eyes wandered over to the kitchen, hysterically looking for a distraction. At last they settled upon the steaming coffee pot. _Perfect_.

"Would you like some coffee?"

**Tony **could sense that Michelle was trying to change the subject, but he let it slide. Instead he concentrated on a very appealing silver pot resting on the kitchen counter. He was glad she had thought of it. He really could use some caffeine. If only he had his cubs mug... There was nothing better than a nice cup of coffee in his favorite mug. But he'd settle for anything at the moment. It seemed a little too early to admit his obsession to her.

They wandered over towards the kitchen. As Tony passed Michelle, his leg accidentally brushed against her hip. The pleasure of being in contact with her seeped through his body, and he forced himself to restrain a grin.

Michelle pulled up two stools to the counter, and poured two mugs of extremely hot coffee. They sat down and sipped their drinks, indulging in the soothing liquid running down their throats. Occasionally they would glance at each other and smile shyly. When they were both done, Michelle exhaled in a deep sigh.

"Thank you so much, Tony... For coming, I mean."

Tony didn't know how to tell her that he appreciated this moment with her more than anything. He just wanted her to know how special she was, and that he wanted to be with her, sipping coffee in her tiny, overly neat apartment… forever.

He could barely hold back the stream of thoughts that poured into his mind. He longed to hold her hand… to touch her… He knew he would do _anything_ for her. He wanted to tell her his life story, and for her to tell him how special he was. He wanted to return the compliment. With a passionate kiss.

_Whoa, whoa, whoa… Get a hold of yourself there._

The familiar urges that had taken hold of him in the halls of CTU only a few days ago returned with new strength. This time, however, he controlled himself and said nothing more than,

"I think we both needed this."

He prayed that somehow, she would know what he really wanted to say. Slowly… Cautiously… he placed his hand on hers. He immediately felt the heat pulse through his mind at her touch.

He lifted his head and gazed at her beautiful, inviting face, and he felt a place in his heart that had been iced over for far too long melt slightly.

Tony and Michelle both sat in silence, yet unlike their last silence, there was no awkwardness between them. In those moments they spent together everything they had ever wanted to say to each other didn't need to be said. They understood.


	4. Losing her Temper

_**Losing her Temper**_

_Ok, sorry this took forever to put up, we've either been away or busy with other stories. I promise after this one it'll get much more lighthearted!_

**Michelle ** scribbled down the coordinates for a field mission, trying to remember where she had left the files on the Gonsalez project. Chapelle would _kill _her if she had lost them. Her temper rose a few notches higher as she racked her brain, picturing the last time she had been holding them.

_I could've sworn they were right here on my desk…_

Spinning around, she flipped through a bulging pile of paperwork, searching frantically for the bright red type that read- 'IMPORTANT: Gonsalez.' After finally accepting defeat, Michelle slammed the giant pile down on her desk, causing the desk to violently shake and knocking her mug of coffee over in the process.

"Dammit!"

She hadn't realized how loud she had shrieked, for as she scanned the room, every single one of her coworkers was gazing up at her quizzically. She didn't particularly, care anyhow, her day could not have been much worse.

Michelle continued to curse and swear violently, causing quite a commotion on the floor.

She hadn't noticed that a certain Tony Almeida was also staring down at her from his newly repaired office, clearly confused as to the source of the noise.

**Tony ** vigorously typed out an email to Division explaining, rather vaguely, why they were so far behind on the Gonsalez project. He was in the middle of a sentence when he heard Michelle's extremely loud exclamation.

At first he had thought it was a dying animal, or a computer making screeching sounds, but as he looked down onto the floor, he recognized that the source was coming from Michelle. This puzzled him.

It was rare when Michelle lost her temper. Even in the most intense periods of time, she seemed to handle everything smoothly. She was generally a calm person, he had observed. This was why her seemingly random explosion was incredibly surprising to him, and probably most of the other workers.

Tony continued to watch her, noticing that she had not calmed down at all. _What's going on with her? _She had seemed a bit out of sorts lately, but this was a little too out there. His first instinct was to leap out of his chair, zoom down the stairs and comfort and calm her. Perhaps a big Tony-Hug, which he was famous for. Maybe a slight kiss…

_No._ He stopped himself. _Control, Tony, control. _ That would seem _a bit_ too obvious.

Instead, despite what every fiber in his body willed him to do, he simply picked up the phone, dialed her office number.

**Michelle** supposed that it was all of the stress. Everything builds and builds until even a person as calm and focused as Michelle can't handle it any longer. Her outburst was simply a way to lift a little weight off her back. It _had_ felt good to scream.

But no matter what she told herself, she really knew that this tension had absolutely nothing to do with work, or the Gonsalez file, or even the spilled coffee all over her new shirt.

The one thing… _person… _that she couldn't rid from her thoughts- Who made her smile with joy, and at the same time sweat with anticipation. The person, who, she knew, was probably sitting in his office this very moment, filing paperwork or sending Division emails apologizing for _her _mistakes.

It had been almost three weeks since he had come to her house. Sitting with him, being with him, had made her feel invincible, completely content. Even the end had been perfect, as hard as it had been to see him go.

_After talking for hours, they both looked out of the window, realizing the sun was beginning to rise, and that they would have to be back at CTU in a matter of hours. He slowly put on his coat and pocketed his keys, never once adverting his glance from her. It felt safe to have him look in her eyes._

_They both stood at the open door, trying to find a way to prolong their time together. Then without warning, Tony gently took her delicate chin in his hand, and kissed her. It was the most perfect and wonderful thing she had ever experienced. It was as if their lips were made for each other, perfectly molding together._

_It was possibly even better than their first encounter in the hallway not long ago._

_He smiled warmly, such a small curve of the lips that one may not have noticed it, but it was there. He stepped out the doorway, and slowly wandered towards his car. Within moments, he was gone._

It had been a magical and electric moment, leaving her breathless. She had hoped beyond all odds that it wasn't the last, but as the days turned to weeks, Michelle's hope began to dwindle and slowly dissolve completely.

_Maybe he had just planned for it to be that one time_, she thought,_ maybe, now that he knows me better, he wants nothing to do with me._ He probably didn't even feel the same way about her. Just co-workers helping each other out.

The melodic ring of her CTU phone brought her back to reality harshly. She snatched it and brought it to her ear.

"Dessler,"

She had known exactly who it was going to be, but still his deep voice entranced her. She gripped the phone a little too tightly, forming small dents around her ear.

"Michelle... Do ya wanna tell me what's goin' on?"

His concerned tone made her anger towards him increase. What right did he have to act so worried about her, after totally blowing her off the past couple of weeks?

"I'm fine."

She knew the lie was not at all believable, but she knew that if she displayed the right kind of coldness, it would send Tony the message.

"That's a buncha crap. Meet me right now in holding room number seven. We need to talk."

The line went dead, leaving her speechless. How could he _dare_ speak to her in that way? And to just _hang up?_ She had half a mind to completely ignore his demand, but she was smart enough to know that, after all, she did work for him.

Slamming down the phone, Michelle got to her feet, brushing the wrinkles off of her skirt. She made her way through the dimly-lit hallway to holding room number seven, grudgingly.

Her pace quickened, and she jammed her heels deeper into the floor with every step.

She turned a corner a little too sharply, heading towards the holding rooms. All she wanted to was to get this dreaded meeting over with, and to never deal with Tony again. She was well-aware that it would be tempting to slap that, ignorant, selfish man right in the face the minute she saw him, but he was her boss, and she would have no choice but to restrain herself.

As she violently punched in the entry code to holding room seven, she silently prepared what she was going to say.

**Tony ** looked up to the buzzing sound of the door opening. He had seated himself in the uncomfortable holding room chair, his hands placed carefully across the cold, uninviting metal table before him. He slowly looked up into her fiery, glaring eyes, realizing the situation was worse than he had thought; she was definitely not pleased with him. Tony watched nervously as she clenched her jaw, tucked a loose curl behind her ear, and briskly sat down in the chair on the opposite side of the table.

He had picked this room for a reason. Only weeks ago, they both had been placed there in punishment of questionable actions towards Chapelle. He could still clearly recall her passionate refusal to his offer of taking the blame; Michelle had wanted to take responsibility for her actions- Something Tony valued and admired in her.

Tony opened his mouth, searching for words to begin the conversation. His thoughts were harshly interrupted.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she snapped quietly and precisely. He certainly had not seen this coming. He attempted to reply, but came up with nothing. Instead he sat there, dumbstruck- his mouth gaping open stupidly.

Tony was shocked at her reaction. He had never imagined that she would assume he was just… Blowing her off, or something. _God! Maybe she thought it was like a one night stand!_ How could she not know that every single waking moment he debated his decision, wanting her more and more as the time progressed. Every day he watched her diligently complete her work, always perfectly organized, determined to accomplish the task at hand. How could she not see it? Wasn't it obvious?

He loved what a strong person she was, ready to stand up for what she believed in. Even at this moment, Michelle was doing that very thing. Her anger and power only made him desire her more.

But he had promised himself. He had promised that he'd never make that mistake again, that ripped his heart out almost two years ago. Tony remembered the end of that long day, watching the woman he had almost loved being dragged away, not only a traitor to her country, but to him, to Jack, to Teri... He couldn't bear the truth. He had been blind for so long. To think he almost loved her. _I didn't even know what love was._

That night, he had gone home in a daze, sitting on his couch for hours at a time, downing gulp after gulp of alcohol, just to end the pain.

But as time passed, he had gotten over it. He had an important job after all, and a new promotion. He began a different routine, changing the way he did things so he was not reminded of… _her._ But inside he was never truly happy, never really content. There was a part of him that was no longer there. The part that loves.

He shut himself up, hid his feelings. He just did what he had to do in order to cope with the pain.

Until Michelle. Nina had scarred him so deeply, he was positive he would never even want a woman again. But he was wrong. The woman he wanted more than ever was standing before him, waiting for a response to her angry statement. At this moment, it seemed Michelle just needed him to answer, but he couldn't find the words.

He sat there as the minutes passed, dumbfounded. In his head, he debated. Could take such a chance, risk his happiness, and put himself out in the open again? He knew being with Michelle, having someone like _her_ to lean on, have at his side, could bring back the ultimate happiness that he had once had. But she didn't deserve a man who may never be able to trust her, or love her like she deserved. To hurt Michelle might be even worse than depriving himself of her.

Every morning as Tony went through his daily routine, he would decide that it would be the day he would talk to Michelle. He would enter CTU determined to show her that he cared, and he could be in a relationship again. But each time, he would stop himself, and cowardly change his mind. Tony, as little as he liked to admit it, was afraid. Not just afraid, _terrified_. Terrified of what could happen, of what _had_ happened. Terrified of giving his heart away again.

But, instead of going to her, she had come to him. And now, he realized, staring into her furious eyes, that there was nothing he could do. Michelle had his heart, and there was no way to take it back. Though it might be difficult to regain his trust, he needed her, and she needed him. It was time he gave his heart to Michelle.

Slowly, he stood up, facing Michelle. He took small steps towards her, until his face was only inches away from hers. There was a slight moment of complete, tension-filled silence. Tony gave in to his first instinct; placing his hands on the back of her neck, he pulled her in for a deep, passionate kiss. At first, out of pure shock, she didn't return it.

Michelle's hand lingered above Tony's shoulder, but finally, she relaxed and let it fall, wrapping around his back and holding him tightly. His grip around her tightened, and he pulled her closer, desperate for more contact.

Then, he whispered in her ear, "I am so sorry, Michelle."

**Michelle **was utterly stunned. In her mind, nothing in the world could have made her less angry at him. He had thrown her aside, blowing her off like some sort of… one night stand. Michelle was not going to take this from someone she actuallyreally liked. She had spent too long letting guys take advantage of her.

But as he pressed his lips against hers, her heart melted all over again, and she was his. She just couldn't help but want him, and let him hold her, and _kiss_ her. A kiss she'd be dreaming of for weeks now, finally given to her when she'd least expected it.

He gently moved his mouth to her ear, whispering, "I'm so sorry, Michelle."

It was just what she had needed to hear to fix everything. Just those three words summed up why Tony had never talked to her. She understood. She now knew that he had never intended to hurt her, or blow her off. _How could I have been so dumb to forget?_ She knew perfectly well of what had happened with Nina.

But now, he had given himself to her, and she would have no choice but to gain his trust.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but Michelle managed to hold them back. "It's not your fault."

It was all she could say, but she added a small smile to lighten the mood.

**Tony **at first let the embrace linger, but eventually he knew he had to make a move. He bit his lip, a nervous habit, trying to convince himself to ask the much-to-late question.

_When are you gonna find a better time? Just do it now!_

"Michelle, I uh... well… I was wondering... Do you wanna go out for that movie and a dinner that I promised you?"

She grinned back at him, satisfied that he had finally worked up the courage.

"How's Friday?

A quick nod set the date, making the much anticipated question seem so simple, suddenly. He was going on a date! With _Michelle_. His heart thumped loudly in his chest.

The two had been so transfixed in each other's arms, completely forgetting about their surroundings. Quickly they fixed themselves up and headed towards the holding room door to go back to work. The second they had entered the hallway, their gaze on each other broke, and they both put their minds back to the job that needed to be done.

To their dismay, after turning a sharp corner to face the main floor, they collided with none other than Ryan Chappelle. Nervously, both Tony and Michelle quickly bent down to retrieve the large bundle of papers he had been holding, muttering short apologies for their carelessness.

"Where the hell have you two been? These _all_ need to be signed and sent to Jack's office. You know you really should be more helpful, Tony, or I might have to rethink that _big promotion_ I have just given you..."

Tony and Michelle took a deep breath, trying to find a believable excuse to explain their absence. Tony immediately began to speak, improvising an elaborate story about some long phone call with a communications officer. Though he raised an eyebrow with curiosity, Chapelle nodded briskly, and headed on his way, leaving Tony and Michelle incredibly relieved.

He turned to her, and winked, muttering, "We'll talk later."

Michelle returned the wink, and walked purposefully back to her desk. She had wasted- well, not wasted- a lot of time with Tony. She was behind schedule and needed to catch up.

But as she sat down at her desk, she couldn't resist glancing up at Tony in his office, and simultaneously he looked down at her. They shared a brief moment of silent communication.

She grinned mischievously and returned to her work. But then she stopped, hit with a realization._Life at CTU is going to be very different. Good different._


	5. Simple As This

_**simple as this**_

_Really sorry it took forever to put up, but we finally finished! Hope this is a bit of nice fluff.. Enjoy!_

**Michelle** gently spread the bright red sun dress she had decided to wear across the surface of her bed. Smoothing it out against the soft mattress, she thought of the day that she had seen the beautiful outfit in a store window, and, despite it's price, knew she _had_ to have it. It was just one of those instincts most woman have when temptation takes over. (Even if there is no particular occasion to wear it to.)

She had walked out of that store holding a fancy bag with a ribbon handle firmly gripped in hand, and her wallet feeling much emptier. Michelle had felt that rush of excitement one always gets after making an amazing, though outrageously expensive, purchase. She simply could not wait to find a place to wear it.

That had been just over five months ago. That night, after gingerly unwrapping it from its perfect silver tissue paper and finding her best clothes hanger to rack it in her closet, Michelle had realized that there would be no event to wear the wonderful outfit to. For five months, the dress remained hidden in the back of her closet, never seeing the light of day. _No life,_ she thought to herself,_ I have absolutely NO life._

This was why five months later, on an early Friday evening, Michelle had walked with pride towards her overly stuffed, yet ridiculously organized closet, and removed the bright red dress with satisfaction. Unlike many first dates, she knew _exactly_ what to wear.

**Tony** grumbled as he fished through his overly stuffed drawer of… Well, at this point in time, it was hard to tell what the drawer had originally been intended to hold. At this moment, it was jammed full of piles of various crumpled, mismatched pieces of clothing. Tony took a mental note to one day, completely clean out the damned thing as he tried to find a second sock that resembled the one lying on the floor behind him.

Finally, after half of the drawer's contents were messily sprawled across his bedroom floor, he had found what he was looking for. Proudly, he held up the two oddly shaped Christmas themed socks, and took a moment to happily examine their fading holly embroidery. Some may laugh, but to Tony, these were no ordinary socks; these were his lucky date socks.

Ever since he could remember, Tony had always made a point of wearing his trusty socks on every first date. They were his way to give himself a boost of confidence before the big night. After carefully pulling each lump over his feet, he wiggled his toes, feeling the soft, worn cotton surrounding them, and stepped down onto the hard floor. Tony wandered over to the mirror, checking his appearance. For once, he saw the reflection of a perfectly shaved, perfectly groomed man, with a glimmer of nervousness in his eyes. Not that he'd ever admit that he was at all nervous.

This was a very important night.

**Michelle**, grasping a large comb in her hand, stared at herself in her bathroom mirror. About 20 pairs of earrings and 4 different shades of lipstick later, she had decided her current appearance was the best she could hope for. Though she had been meticulous with the other aspects of her appearance, she had saved a large chunk of the evening to handle the most important, and most difficult portion of her outfit: her hair.

Michelle's hair had been the one thing that she had never been able to tame her entire life. Only a short while after she was born, the unmanageably thick, frizzy curls had begun to pop out of her head like a wild nest of wires for some mysterious tropical bird. That was how her mother put it.

Since then, she had tried just about every single method of maintaining it; creams, blow driers, irons... For a while she even took an actual iron and used it to straighten her hair... But eventually Michelle had realized that nothing could be done about it. She was a Dessler, and although she had also been given the family's strength and wit, she had been given the family gene of disastrous hair.

As usual, Michelle scooped up the drying curls into a low bun, and mashed the already-frizzing top with a handful of heavy-duty gel. She sighed as she again scrutinized her appearance; it looked exactly as it did just about every single day at work; boring and plain. But it was the best she could do without a head of uncontrollable mess. Finally, she was ready. As she walked over to grab her bag, Michelle checked her watch. _8:26... He should be here any minute.._

**Tony** eased into the driver's seat of his car, shut the door, and quickly glanced out the front window. The first stars were beginning to appear, now only faint sparks of light against the pale black sky. Catching a glimpse of them reminded Tony of what he was about to do, making him smile with excitement. The entire week of preparation and anticipation for this very day had finally come to a close, and here he was, minutes away from the first date with _Michelle_. He prayed beyond all odds that everything would go well, and that the night would live up to his expectations. At this moment, however, he had absolutely no idea what was yet to come.

Pulling out of the apartment's driveway, Tony remembered the last time he had been to Michelle's house. The few weeks it had been seemed like forever, while simultaneously seeming like yesterday. Although the circumstances were much different, Tony still had the same nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. The stakes were much higher this time. Though he spent his entire week with Michelle, and had seen her only a couple of hours ago, he wanted this night to be... Different. _Special_.

This wasn't the first time he had dated someone from work, though. Tony cringed as he remembered Nina's and his first date; there had been a certain attraction between them at first sight... Or so he had thought. He wasn't exactly sure _what_ about that relationship was actually true. But since he had dated someone who had worked with him before, he was used to the late hour that the date was starting, as it was just about the only time he or Michelle could fit in without overlapping with one of their work schedules. Even getting out at the early hour of 7:30 had been difficult for Tony. But a quick, excited glance from Michelle as he had exited the building had made everything worth it.

Now here he was, stepping out of his car, and for the second time, heading towards Michelle's front door. His hand quivered as he extended his arm to ring the doorbell.

**Michelle**, who was readily waiting only feet away from the door, leapt into action at the startling sound of the doorbell. She made a note of waiting a couple of seconds before casually opening the door, as if she hadn't _really _been looking forward to this. Hopefully he wouldn't catch on just how much she had… And _was._

As expected, he stood there facing her, his hands also _casually_ resting in his pockets. His calm, yet slightly anxious expression seemed to perfectly match his hazy surroundings, making Michelle tickle with excitement.

Through her hesitation, her lips slowly curved into a slight smile as she debated how to ask her gorgeous _date_, yes DATE, inside.

"Umm... Wanna come in? For a quick drink or something? Unless you don't need a drink, I mean I-"

He quickly interrupted her blabber, saving her from a likely humiliation.

"Sure."

He cocked his head slightly as her trembling fingers reached to open the door fully. Michelle let him enter, and briefly glanced around before she led him to the kitchen. She knew too well that there was no need to show him around, as he had been in this very kitchen not to long ago…

"Cheers."

The wine had been poured, and he faced her as he held his glass.

"To finally getting to this much anticipated date."

They laughed together as they sipped their wine, nervousness floating away while enjoying the presence of one another.

Half a bottle of wine and plenty of humor-filled conversations later. They had left Michelle's house slightly buzzed and ready for a wonderful evening. As they got into the car and backed out of her driveway, Tony turned to Michelle, smirking, as she told him one of the common Chloe-stories from work.

"Can you believe the _nerve _of that woman? And honestly, her face looks like its permanently CONSTIPATED!"

She trailed off into a fit of laughter, but quickly halted with his stern response.

"Michelle..."

They were stopped at a red light, and Tony was giving her an intense glare. She looked down at the dashboard to try and avoid eye contact, ashamed at her obnoxious behavior. How could she have been so nasty? That was an awful thing to say! She cursed herself for having that third cup of wine.

"I'm sorry, that was-"

For the second time, Tony interrupted her apology, picking up her chin so there was no way of avoiding him.

"You look beautiful tonight."

Michelle felt her entire body go limp with his wonderful compliment. Not many people besides her father had called her beautiful before…

She decided that it was time to stop processing every word she said. She just had to be herself, to give in to first instincts. And at this moment, her first instinct was to grab the back of his head and plunge into a deep, much awaited kiss. His tongue met hers, and the street lights and car engines seemed to fade away as they continued to kiss, and kiss, and kiss…

It was only when an angry man waiting behind them gave a loud honk did they break apart with a jolt. Michelle fell into the back of her seat as Tony, realizing it was a green light, sped through the intersection.

_Kissing him is like candy… NO. Drugs! You can't help wanting more and more_. She glanced over to find a frustratingly expressionless Tony concentrating on the road, but she swore she saw a slight smile creep along his face.

**Tony** could not believe his luck. Less than an hour into the date he had received one of the _hottest_ make-out sessions he had ever experienced. As he held back his grin, he decided he liked slightly drunk Michelle. After a calm, peaceful silence, that let him process what had just happened, they reached their destination, a small movie theater. He and Michelle began heading over towards the entrance, and as he graciously open the door for her to enter, he prayed beyond all odds that there were tickets left. Being his forgetful self, he had forgotten to get movie tickets, even though he had known the theater would be mobbed on a Friday night. Walking up to the saleswoman, he held his breath as he asked for tickets for the film. Her mocking expression made his hopeful heart sink.

"Honey, are ya kiddin' me? Tix sold out a while ago. But we do have tickets for one movie..."

Simultaneously, both Michelle and Tony demanded, "_What?"_

The smirking saleswoman, whom Tony had now decided he despised answered them quickly.

"Umm. Gigglebites II."

_What?_ _Was she KIDDING? Did she honestly expect him to take his date to a G-rated animated children's movie?_

"No _thanks_, but we appreciate the offer."

He immediately took Michelle's arm and yanked her towards the exit. To his surprise, though, before he could utter any sort of apology, Michelle gave him a large grin.

"Lets do it."

"Umm… What?"

"Tony, I came here to see a movie, lets just SEE IT! It'll be hilarious!"

He had no intention to see Giggle-whatever, but he couldn't help but enjoy the prospect of laughing through a stupid children's movie with Michelle. And with 2 1/2 cups of wine making him feel slightly more adventurous, he accepted her offer.

"Ok."

Giving Michelle money to buy drinks and popcorn he bravely approached the gum-chewing saleswoman and asked to purchase two tickets to "Gigglebites."

For a moment, the woman stood there in awe as her jaw dropped open. Tony had to suppress laughing aloud as she dumbfoundedly gave him the tickets and told him which theater to go to.

He met Michelle back at the snack counter, watching her try to find the best deal on Diet Coke. When she finished her purchase and handed him his Sprite, he gave her a quick peck before showing her to movie theater four.

**Michelle** giggled as they slowly sneaked into the movie that had already begun. She and Tony headed to the back of the theater, her favorite spot, finding the perfect middle seat in the nearly empty theater. Sitting down next to Tony, she started sipping on her Diet Coke, which she had miraculously gotten at a _great_ deal, often putting it down to take a piece of popcorn, or to give Tony a long kiss. Mostly it was for the second reason. After an hour of Mr. Giggle wandering through Tickle land looking for his long lost friend, the credits started climbing up the screen, and the lights faded up. Both Tony and Michelle had been so fixated on each other that they barely seemed to notice.

Finally, they stood up, brushing crumbs of popcorn off onto the floor, and wandered out of the theater. Once back at Tony's car, Michelle looked up at him and smiled.

"Great movie."

Her comment sent them both into fits of light laughter.

"Definitely... I can't wait to see part III!"

They climbed into his car, Michelle's heart bubbling with happiness. Only then did she realize they still had an entire dinner ahead of them.

"So... Where to next?"

Tony turned to the road, biting his lower lip.

"You'll see."

After a few minutes of silence within the car, Tony turned towards, Michelle, taking a deep breath.

"You know, Michelle, I'm not the type to notice these kinda things... But I think there's something wrong with your hair."

At first, Michelle was shocked at his comment. Did he really hate her hair _that_ much to say it to her face? Then, she realized that for him to say something like that, there must be something wrong. Immediately her eyes widened with shock, and her hand went straight to the dashboard mirror. As soon as she pulled it down, the astonishing reflection made her gasp with horror.

Instead of the flat, low bun she'd been expecting, the mirror showed 3 large locks of curly hair sticking straight up over her head. It looked as if she had just received some sort of electric shock. As she bruised down the strands, she began to question Tony.

"How long has it been like that? Why haven't you TOLD me? Did you see it happen? Has it always been like that?"

Tony was having a hard time suppressing laughter as he answered her question.

"Michelle, it must've happened in the theater. The reason I didn't tell you is because, frankly, I didn't notice. It's really not that bad.."

His comfort seemed to give no comfort."

"ARE YOU KIDDING? JUST LOOK AT IT!"

She vigorously began taking out the bun, letting her hair flow down to her shoulders. She sighed, realizing she must've put a tad too much gel, and.. Well, her hair must have been ruined sometime during the movie. When her hair was finally down and in place, she started the same routine of putting it back in a bun. But before she could do anything, Tony's hand stopped her.

"Michelle.. Why don't you leave it down? I think it looks wonderful like that."

His warm smile and kind comment left Michelle's cheeks as red as her dress, but she obliged and left her hair be. _Maybe the curls aren't that bad after all_.

He turned out to have chosen a small, charming restaurant on a busy street, even in the late hour of 11. As they laughed their way towards the front, they were quickly seated in a table right near the window. They were handed menus, offered drinks, and soon left to their own devices.

After a while of leafing through their menus, a slow conversation began to simmer.

"So Michelle, tell me. Are you that hardworking, overly-neat coworker I've gotten to know, or this bubbling adventurous woman I've just met?"

Without thinking, Michelle smiled as she replied, "Honestly, to tell you the truth, I have absolutely no idea."

This comment sent their conversation off into a variety of different subjects: histories, funny stories, favorites… The conversation never bored her.

Finally, before she knew it, the waiter was handing them the check.

After they paid, they strolled leisurely back out to Tony's car for a third time.

Michelle leaned against the side of the car, and once again, trusted her instincts.

"Tony, do you want to come ov-"

Her daring attempt was quickly interrupted by the shrill ring of Tony's cell phone. He groaned as he flipped it open to answer.

"Almeida,"

Michelle knew immediately who it was by the roll of Tony's eyes.

"Yes, Chappelle... I'll come... YES, I'll call Michelle... No... It's ok, it's only my _day off._ No... I'm just kidding. Not really. See you soon."

He was at a loss of words, so instead he offered Michelle a pained look.

_Of course... The one time I needed this _not_ to happen..._ Michelle cursed her luck as she and Tony hopped into the car, and headed towards CTU.

Though she was angry at the turn of events, she wasn't nearly as pissed as she expected herself to be. She relaxed into her seat, realizing that this was the most wonderful date she had ever been on. And this time, she _knew _there would be a second.

_Just so you know, this is the final chapter if _Simple As This_. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, we hope you enjoyed the story! _


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